Lewis Hamilton now sees Max Verstappen as a genuine threat to the world title after building "serious respect" for the Red Bull driver last season. Hamilton won his record-equalling seventh world title. Valtteri Bottas was unable to match his Mercedes team-mate, but he holds on to second in the championship standings with Verstappen pushing the Mercedes duo closer than ever. The young Dutchman finished just nine points behind Bottas in the end. Former racing driver Tom Coronel believes Verstappen's growth this past season has caused some concern for Hamilton. "This was the best year ever for Max. You can see that there is an upward trend," he wrote for Motorsport.com. "You see that mistakes are being made less quickly, you see him still going faster, you see him actually doing things in impossible positions that make you think: 'Huh? Still?'. You still see him overtaking, but still thinking a little more. It makes me think 'You're completely in control', and that's cool to see.” He added: "I can really see that only one is scared, and you see that all the time because [Hamilton] is only asking for Max. And you can see that the respect is there. It's not like: 'Yes, I'm the cool dude, and who are you, new kid? You still have a lot to learn.' No, there's serious respect now." They are now both ready to compete for a world championship."
Source: Express